Support for corsage



April 9, 1957 R. A. KABER SUPPORT FOR CORSAGE Filed Sept. 50, 1955 mvzm'oaz REX A. KABER BY W4 ATTYS- Unite The present invention relates to corsage supports, and more particularly to a support for a shoulder corsage.

It has been the practice to pin shoulder corsages to the shoulder of the evening gown or other dress, but with the increasing popularity of strapless gowns, shoulder corsages have been replaced by hair corsages and wrist corsages because of the difficulty in attaching the corsage to the person. The present invention provides a corsage support which supports the corsage by an element which is held between the breast and the brassiere or other supporting garment.

Devices of this character have appeared on the market which are purported to conform to the contour of the body, but these have been unsatisfactory since the natural contours of the body of women vary considerably. In addition, the prior art devices have not provided a rigid supporting member for the corsage, and when a corsage of substantial weight is attached, the flexibility of the supporting member causes the corsage to bob or fall away from the body, causing discomfort to the person. It is not satisfactory to secure the corsage to the persons garment, since with heavy Corsages, the garment does not have sufficient rigidity to support the corsage in upright position.

With the foregoing in mind, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a corsage supporting member which has an expansible member adapted to encircle the breast, said member being open at the lower end to afford easy insertion and removal in the costume of the person.

. Another object of the present invention is to provide a support of the stated type which comprises a rigid portion overlying the clavicle which supports the corsage against substantial movement.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a support for a shoulder corsage which may support the corsage either vertically or horizontally.

These and other objects of the invention, and the various features and details of the construction and operation thereof are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows the corsage support in place without a corsage;

Fig. 2 is a detached view of the corsage support showing the corsage secured thereto;

Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the corsage clamp of the support;

Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the bodyengaging portion of the support;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view showing the corsage support in one position for use;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view showing the means of adjusting the position of the corsage clamp; and,

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view showing the corsage support in an alternative position of use.

Referring now to the drawing, the corsage support con sists of a body-engaging member 10 having a rigid sup- States Patent 0 port plate 11 secured thereto which pivotally mounts a corsage-engaging member or clamp 12.

The body-engaging member 10 comprises a resilient flexible band of Lucite or the like formed, for example, as shown in Fig. 2. As shown, the material 10 at its center is bent back upon itself, as indicated at 15 to form a substantially rigid portion consisting of laterally abutting legs 16, 16. The free extremities of the legs 16, 16 are formed as conversely arcuate sections 17, 17 to form a circlet open at its lower extremity diametrically opposite the legs 16, 16, as indicated at 18. The arcuate sections 17, 17, as shown in Fig. 1, are adapted to be inserted in the brassiere or other garment to partially encircle the breast. As shown, the sections 17, 17 are of similar configuration so that the body-engaging member may be worn on either the left or the right side.

The sections are connected at their upper extremity so that the circlet may expand or contract as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2 in accordance with the body conformationof the individual. The connection at the upper portion of the circlet insures that the legs 16, 16 remain disposed centrally upright, the expansion of the arcuate sections 17, 17 being equal. Thus, the rigid legs 16, 16 are not canted or become displaced to one side or the other when the sections 17, 17 are expanded. As shown in Fig. 6, the arcuate portions 17, 17 are disposed at an angle to the legs 16, 16 so that the legs lie flush against the clavicle, thereby providing further support therefor.

Further rigidity is atforded to the legs 16, 16 by reason of their connection to the plate 11. The plate 11 may be formed of Lucite or any desirable material, and in the present instance, is joined to the legs 16, 16 by fusion or welding of the plastic material. As shown in Fig. 4, the plate 11 is provided with parallel side edges, as indicated at 20, 2t) and is provided with a central aperture 21 for mounting a rivet 22 engaging the member 12.

The member 12 is stamped or otherwise cut from a fiat sheet of form-retaining metal, which is easily bent by the fingers. The member 12 comprises an elongated body portion 23 having a plurality of laterally extending fingers 24 on the respective opposite sides thereof. The fingers 24 are staggered in relation to each other so that a corsage may be clamped to the member 12 by bending the fingers 24 around the stem portion of the corsage, for example as illustrated in Fig. 2, the free extremities of the fingers being in laterally adjacent relationship.

The member 12 is pivotally mounted on the plate 11, and means is provided to secure the body portion 23 in a position extending either longitudinally or transversely of the plate 11. The member 12 is pivotally mounted on the plate 11 by the rivet 22, the plate being of substantially the same widthas the body portion 23 of the member, and engaged by two pairs of tabs 25 which are formed integrally with and extend downwardly from opposite sides of the body member 23 intermediate the fingers 24. The tabs 25 are equally spaced longitudinally of the body portion 23 at opposite sides of the center line of the rivet 22 with the distance between the inner edges of the tabs on each side of the body member substantially equal to the width of the plate 11. By this construction, the tabs 25 engage opposite side edges of the plate 11 regardless of whether the body portion 23 extends longitudinally or transversely of the band, and prevent relative rotary movement of the member 12 with respect to the plate 11. When it is desired to rotate the member 12, it is bent sharply outward at opposite sides of the rivet 22, for example as illustrated in Fig. 6 to a position wherein the tabs 25 clear the plate 11, thereby permitting free rota tion of the member 12 with respect to the plate 11.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the present invention provides means for supporting a shoulder corsage independently of the gown of the individual. The

corsage is mounted on a rigid member which lies flat against the clavicle, the rigid portion of the support being retained against displacement by a pair of areuate leg portions which flexibly and resiliently embrace the breast within the brassiere.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been herein illustrated and described, it is not intended to limittlie invention to such a disclosure, but changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto Within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: 7

l. A shoulder corsage support comprising a body-engaging member composed of a band of resilient flexible material, said band being bent upon itself centrally thereof to' form a pair of laterally adjacent leg portions, said leg portions terminating at their free extremity in conversely arciiate portions having a similar configuration and forming a circlet open at its end diametrically opposite said laterally-abutting leg portions, a plate rigidly united to said laterally-abutting leg portions to prevent fiexure thereof, and a corsage-engaging member of manually bendable material mounted on said plate.

2. A support according to claim 1 wherein said arcuate portions are coplanar with each other, and said leg portions are disposed at an obtuse angle to said plane to lie 4 flush against the clavicle when the arcuate portions encircle the breast.

3. A shoulder corsage support comprising a body-en gaging member composed Of a band of resilient flexible material, said band being bent upon itself centrally thereof to form a pair of laterally adjacent leg portions, said leg portions terminating at their free extremity in conversely arcuate portions having a similar configuration and forming a circlet open at its end diametrically opposite said laterally-abutting leg portions, a plate rigidly united to said laterally-abutting leg portions to prevent fiexure thereof, and a corsageengaging member of manually bendable material pivotally mounted on said plate, and including tab portions engaging said plate to position said corsage-supporting member selectively longitudinal of and transversely of said plate.

4. A support according to claim 3 wherein said plate has parallel side edges spaced-apart a given distance, and

No references cited. 

